1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for reading radiation image information recorded in a stimulable phosphor panel that is stored in a cassette, thereafter erasing remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor panel, and discharging the stimulable phosphor panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has heretofore been known a radiation image information reading apparatus employing a stimulable phosphor panel which, when exposed to an applied radiation, stores part of the energy of the radiation, and, when subsequently exposed to applied stimulating rays such as visible light, emits light in proportion to the stored energy of the radiation.
The radiation image information reading apparatus includes a cassette loader for loading a plurality of cassettes each storing a stimulable phosphor panel which records therein radiation image information of a subject such as a human body, a reading unit for applying stimulating light to the stimulable phosphor panel removed from one of the cassettes to read the radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor panel, an erasing unit for applying erasing light to the stimulable phosphor panel from which the radiation image information has been read to erase remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor panel, and a cassette discharger for discharging the stimulable phosphor panel stored in the cassette after the remaining radiation image information has been erased from the stimulable phosphor panel. For details, reference should be made to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-156716, for example.
According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-156716, the stimulable phosphor panel is separated from the cassette and supplied to the reading unit. If the cassette is loaded improperly into the cassette loader, the stimulable phosphor panel may not be separated from the cassette. Even if the stimulable phosphor panel is separated from the cassette, the radiation image information cannot properly be read from the stimulable phosphor panel in the event that the stimulable phosphor panel is supplied reversely or upside down to the reading unit.